Green Colored glasses

Stories of Sustainability at Berkeley

With the U.S. sustainability market projected to reach $150 billion in sales by 2021, the future of our world seems green. The new presidential administration, the upcoming Paris Agreement negotiations, and the decrease in the price of renewable energy bring hope to world citizens, young students who must bear the consequences of years of fossil fuel dependency. The environment has become central to our everyday decisions, promoting consumer consciousness and the concept of “voting with your dollars.” Sustainability itself is a difficult concept to define, but Berkeley students seem to find ways to interweave their version of the idea into their everyday lives. In this article, Caravan explores the personal actions and paths inspired by the ongoing climate crisis. 

Apple’s first memory of nature lives in Griffith Park, close to her home in the heart of Los Angeles...“I always hike my dogs up to the observatory, or I go with friends. I have had my first dates there, both with Tinder matches and my current partner. I find that hiking or being in nature is a good conversation starter. It’s a way to get over jitters, to get out of my own head. In high school, I would sneak out to the park at midnight with friends, and I even graduated at the Greek Theater. I’ve been reflecting on that place—one of my original sacred spaces—and I’ve realized how my life has been shaped by this park, these trees, and this sky. I don’t see separation in my life between inside and outside, and I don’t see separation between myself and nature.

Right now, I’m in a class that has made me reevaluate how my morals or values align with my relationship with nature. I’ve been so lucky to access green space, not only at Griffith Park but in camps in the San Andreas mountains and more. Nature affords me new experiences all the time and the opportunity to explore. With my family, I’ve learned how to compost, thrift, and live zero waste. My mom used to take classes on permaculture gardens, and we’ve always dreamed of raising chickens. I recognize that everything I have—the food in front of me, the air I breathe—has been because of my comfortable environment, and I owe it to others and the world itself to protect these natural bodies. I recognize how nothing will matter without an environment to live in. I mean, this world we know could really cease to exist. I want to prevent that and to have a positive impact on the world, so I’ve chosen a path that can help me combat climate change. 

Over the years, I’ve found it easier to lead the lifestyle that I want to. I’m vegetarian because I care about animals, but that practice was something that scoffed at when I was younger. Since high school—around the same time I had started to shed my more whitewashed personality—I started to thrift my clothes. I found pieces from sustainable brands, and I watched YouTubers who showed how fashion could have an element of sustainability. Upcycling and sustainability have become more trendy, and I’m more ready to explore it. My parents had some misgivings surrounding thrifting (“Why not buy something new when you’re able to?”), but now that they understand my reasoning, I’ve been able to reduce my carbon footprint in that area. 

The fire trails, the track near Clark Kerr, the lawn have all played into my college experience. There’s so much more to explore that I haven’t done yet; I just keep going back to the same places over and over, especially the Big C. These spaces around me are healing, mentally, emotionally, physically. I love that I’m exercising and everyone around me is in their own world within a shared environment. I’ve gone to these spots in all weather conditions, and the feeling that I get under a tree canopy in front of a view of the bay stays constant  each visit. Tilden is a wilderness reserve, so it’s a bit different from my usual haunts. It’s limited to certain human uses, and it feels perpetually lush and green. It’s quiet, and I feel free. When I went last, I just laid on this mound and closed my eyes. I heard the cows mooing, and nothing was forced; I was just one part of the open rolling plains.” 

Christina grew up going on annual Yosemite trips, not camping but staying in a lodge...“I live in an urban area, and my schedule doesn’t make much time for nature. On those trips, we always went hiking. Once we went for some celestial event, a supermoon, maybe. My whole family was packed into a van, and I had my iPad up the entire time to take photos of waterfalls and trees. Everything was serene and tranquil, but those words can’t possibly capture everything I felt on those trips. There’s a sort of romanticism to the whole experience, something asymptotic where I look at something for so long but still can’t reach it.

I don’t study environmental science directly, but I find that economics can be combined with anything. One of my current classes is teaching me about the Buddhist economy, and I’ve learned about the acute impacts of overconsumption and waste. I learn about the byproducts of my own human selfishness, as well as compare happiness within the traditional and Buddhist economic frameworks. Which is self-oriented? Which positions happiness in relation to an entire community? With this knowledge, I’ve been able to change my perspective to recognize my own consumption and make changes.

At Berkeley, I feel like if you’re not sustainable, you almost get shunned. It’s a good thing, though. The students here become accountable before the end of their freshman year, separating garbage, recycling, and compost like pros. I had to take time to figure out how compost worked at all. Being at Berkeley expanded my ideas of sustainability from simply recycling to changing my food and fast fashion consumption habits. I carry around my hydroflask like a child; I honestly don’t remember the last time I’ve touched a plastic bottle. I’ve completely replaced sticky notes and notebooks with iPad applications. Taking a complete 180 from the car culture of Stockton, I’ve started walking or taking the bus everywhere. Berkeley has even made thrifting easy and fun. Honestly, the entire culture-shock matured me—I’ve realized my impact as an individual within a movement. I’m not “just one person;” I’m able to influence the economy to encourage necessary changes for our climate.

When I lived in Stockton, hangout spots consisted of Targets and the local mall. Now, every free hour of mine is spent on the Glade. Pre-COVID, my friends and I would explore a different hiking trail each Friday. It gave me something to look forward to, and I was able to unravel after a week of classes. I draw meaning and purpose from these activities more than the ones I partook in at home. They made me an overall happier person. I jump at any opportunity to go outside—to unwind, recenter, and refresh.

What About You?

A common definition of sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” offered by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development. While there are many ways to determine the sustainability of an action, a common method is to calculate the carbon footprint. Discover the carbon footprint of your lifestyle at bit.ly/caravancarbonfootprint.

1. The average consumer buys 14.76 lbs of clothes each year. If you bought your share of clothes second-hand, you could save 87.08 lbs of CO2 annually.

2. Each year, you could sequester 50 lbs of CO2 by composting all of your food waste. 

3. By taking the bus over driving, you save 0.1 lbs of CO2 per mile.

4. While the total carbon footprint of an iPad or other note-taking device outweighs a few notebooks, Nonetheless, each piece of saved paper saves 1.32 lbs of carbon dioxide from your personal carbon footprint.

5. The production of each plastic bottle emits nearly 2 lbs of carbon dioxide. Switch to a reusable bottle to begin reducing your carbon footprint today.

Words: Anjika Pai

Photos: Apollonia Cuneo